Family Photo

Are we there yet?

Since moving to Orlando, when we drive by a nearby entertainment park (a few small rides), Olivia keeps asking, "Is that Disney World?" Well, today she learned what Disney is really like! We spent a full day at the park and managed to ride a lot of rides (although Space Mountain was shut down), meet Mickey & Minnie, and meet three Princesses (the one in the pink dress, the one in the blue dress, and the one in the yellow dress). Katelee was a bit on the shy side with all the characters, but she loved the rides (even the Haunted House). Olivia was a bit shy on some of the rides, but she loved the characters.

There are some great shots of the girls meeting the characters here.

Or, enjoy all our pics by clicking on the link to the right (Photos).

Filling Momma's Shoes

It is definitely tough trying to fill momma's shoes.

Part of the battle is finding the right shoes though!

Perfect Timing

Well, it has been a ride, and I think we have finally started getting settled. We looked and looked and looked for a rental house (mainly on the East side of town), and then one popped up (on the South side of town). We finally signed a lease 1 week ago on a house that fits our needs, wants, and indulgences perfectly. There are plenty of rooms (for visitors), plenty of space (for energetic kids), a pool (for hot days), a spa (for cool nights), a breakfast nook (for nice meals), a dining room (for larger meals), a garden tub (for soaking), and a nice neighborhood (for running). It is also located near all the fun tourist activities, so we have started making a list of fun things to do (airboat rides, Disney, Universal Studios, etc.). All in all, the year will go quickly, but it should be fun!

Interesting enough, our stuff is still on a boat somewhere between here and Guam. However, the people who own the house allowed us to go ahead and move into the completely furnished place until they have time to move it out (late October). It worked out for both of us!

Needless to say, the girls are becoming quite acclimated to their new environment! Enjoy the pics!

It's a Beach

All this traveling is rough on a girl!

But we have strong, little troopers (most of the time).

Mark has enjoyed his classes the last couple of days, and Courtney and the girls have enjoyed the sights and sounds of the town . . . and the pool. She has managed to maintain a sense of sanity and stability while living in a hotel room. We have now lived out of our suitcases for nearly a month. However, hope is on the horizon since we have secured a house in Kissimmee. The landlords are even going to leave furniture in it until our furniture arrives!

Since Mark didn't have classes today, we decided to visit Destin. We happened to stumble across a very nice beach, changed into our swimsuits, and enjoyed the waves (well, I'm not sure if Katelee enjoyed the waves or not). We played in the waves, played in the sand, and ate some lunch before returning "home" for naps. All in all, a great day . . . and a great way to avoid doing laundry!!!

How to Spend a Week in Orlando

We arrived. We arrived safely. We arrived after 3 days of driving. So, how did we spend the following week? We got back in the truck and drove around some more! We ended up staying Southwest of Orlando in a town called Davenport. Unfortunately, the houses in which we were most interested were on the Northeast side of Orlando -- an hour drive. So, every day we packed up the girls, gathered up teddy bears and snacks, and drove around the town looking at houses. We finally found a house, filled out the applications, and we are waiting to hear back from them.

How did we celebrate? We stuffed all our clothes back in our bags, stuffed all our bags back in our truck, and stuffed all of us back in the cab for another road trip to the Pensacola area for some classes.


However, today, we had a different strategy! We woke up at 3:00 a.m., and we hit the road by 3:45. We were afraid the plan was not going to work as designed when both girls were awake and chatty at first, but they both settled back into peaceful slumber -- for another 3 hours! We didn't dare stop the truck until they woke up, which was just in time for a much needed bathroom break.
When we checked into our Holiday Inn Express at 10 a.m., they were very nice. They had a room ready, and they even upgraded us to a suite! SCORE!!!

Now, Mark can attend his classes while Courtney and the girls enjoy the beach, sun, shopping, and pool! Hopefully, we will have a nice house waiting for us when we return to Orlando.


The new pics are on our phones, which will be uploaded as soon as we learn how! Until then, enjoy these.

Traveling Family

Well, minus some mall vehicle maintenance issues (who really needs a clutch) and a few small toddler meltdowns (I would be fussy too in a car seat that long), we are making our way to Florida. We had a great couple of weeks in Missouri playing with the grandparents, and now we are on the road. We stopped south of Nashville last night, and we are southern Georgia tonight. By tomorrow, we will be in our 10-day rental home (until we find a home to rent). The last leg should only be about 5 hours (without stops), so we will not get up super early tomorrow. Yeah, sleep! We have had fun swimming the last couple of nights though to help relax from a long day of driving.

What does Katelee think of all this travel?

Welcome Home Shots

Successful Fishing

Peter Pan

Corn Dog at the Fair

State Side!

Well, after 31 hours of flying, we finally reached our destination. The girls did pretty well . . . considering. We flew from Guam to Hawaii to Houston to Chicago to Missouri! Whew! Since being in Missouri, we have done all the good local activities -- Ozark Empire Fair, Silver Dollar City, swimming at the lake, fishing, Peter Pan play, and lots of good eating -- despite jetlag! The kids are enjoying grandparent time. Courtney is enjoying Sonic, Arby's, and Chic-fil-A.

We still have a couple of days until we hit the road again -- heading to Florida. We'll see how well the girls travel in a carseat for longer than 30 minutes (standard Guam trip).

Final Days

We have gotten down to our final days in Guam, so we are doing those "one last time" activities. Last weekend, we headed to the Micronesia Mall to look around and enjoy the amusement park. The girls did circles on the Merry-Go-Round, Saucers, and Ladybugs. No one puked, so it was a success. Now, just cleaning up the last details of the house before heading to the hotel. Then, we are leaving on a jet plane; don't know when we'll be back again.

Going Away Party

We had our official going away party today at Tarague Beach. We teamed up with a couple other people leaving, made it a potluck, and enjoyed a hot day at the beach with good friends. We even were able to hop into the water a couple times to cool off. Even a "wild" pig came to bid us farewell. We'll definitely miss Guam and the good friends!

VBS

This week has been an incredibly busy week as we prepare to leave Guam. We have been sorting, moving, tossing, and selling stuff as we get ready for the movers. On top of that, Courtney and Olivia have been enjoying Vacation Bible School this week. It has been every night from 5:30 until 8:00 with a theme of Roman times. Courtney has taken on the role of Juno. In Roman mythology Juno was the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the heavens. She was the protectress of marriage and women, and was also the goddess of finance. In practicality, Juno has been the music leader and crafts helper this week. I think Courtney and Olivia have both really enjoyed the week. Katelee has had to endure time with Dad and his cooking this week, but she is still doing well.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It is the rainy season in Guam, which has been in full swing this week. Of course, a little rain cannot stop two kids with a bundle of energy. Rain or not, the kids needed to burn some energy yesterday. So, we played in the rain.

Guam Celebration

For the 4th of July, we headed down to Gab Gab at the Navy base. Every year, Guam launches fireworks from Polaris Point, which is quite visible from Gab Gab. So, we loaded up the kids, loaded up the snacks, and loaded up the swimming gear. We met some friends down there, swam for a little bit, and then the ladies went food gathering (at Taco Bell). Unfortunately, while they were gone, a storm developed. No problem -- the guys can handle this. We'll just pack all the kids into the truck and hang out until it passes. Tents were flipping over and rolling through the park. Towels were like kites. And, Olivia got pegged by a flying plastic chair. But, we managed to hide our stuff under the truck and in the crook of a tree. Then, when we tried to get into the truck, it was locked . . . and the ladies had the keys! So, we hung out under the restroom overhang until the ladies returned 7 or 8 hours later (so it seemed). We were soaked. Our towels were soaked. And the kids were cold. But, nothing a little heat and Taco Bell couldn't fix. Finally, the fireworks started about 8 o'clock, and we all enjoyed a good show over the bay.

Caterpillar For Lunch

Friday was a great day for sleeping -- especially for Mark. Courtney took the girls to breakfast with a friend, so Mark enjoyed letting his body rest until 9 this morning! It needed it too -- after yesterday's PT test.

After the girls returned, Mark prepared a special snack of caterpillar for them. They seemed to like it! Enjoy the pics!

Happy 4th of July

Yesterday was the base's annual Fourth of July Festival. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the rain that. So, we a huge downpour just as we were driving up to the park. Instead, we decided a little trip to the Hard Rock Cafe would be a better option. What really spells Independence as much as a good burger, fries, apple cobbler with ice cream, and a brownie with chocolate sauce and ice cream . . . all in the company of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia?

Happy Fourth of July!

Cute Couple

From MSgt Wong's Retirement Ceremony

Marking the Time

During deployment, Courtney passed the time with the girls by commemorating each day with a loop in the chain. By the end, it was long enough to drape around the dining room and into the living room. As we prepare to leave Guam, we are cleaning house. So, we took the opportunity to get some good shots of the chain before saying goodbye to it!

Welcome Home / Housewarming Party

Last Friday, we headed to a co-worker's new house for a "Welcome Home" party, as well as a housewarming party. They have lived on Guam for a while, and they have built a beautiful home on top of a Guam hilltop. They can watch the sunset on one balcony, and watch the moon rise over the ocean from another. We had lots of good food and fun! The girls particularly enjoyed the hammock.